Getting To Know You
by v08069gauri
Summary: After a fateful encounter with Malfoy, Hermione finds herself going back in time. She meets the Marauders, and forms friendships with people she'd never thought she'd meet. But when Hermione finds herself falling for a certain grey-eyed man, everything changes.
1. Which year is this?

Getting To Meet You

-GrindylowsInATank

3rd November 1996

The winter air whipping around her, cutting into her face, Hermione Granger made her way down to the Black Lake. If she had known how the weather was going to be outside her dormitory, she would have worn a warmer cloak, but alas, decisions once made cannot be taken back.

She sat down on the edge of the lake, wondering how long Ron would take to get here. Last she had seen him, he had told her to wait near the lake around 8 'o' clock. Much to her irritation, he didn't explain further and rushed off in the direction of the Great Hall.

She'd considered not coming at all, but Ron had seemed serious when he told her and Hermione was curious.

"15 minutes late! For Merlin's sake, I'm freezing out here, and he has the audacity to be late when he was the one who freaking invited me!" Her voice rang out in the night.

Footsteps behind her made Hermione stop her rambling and spin around, pointing her wand at whoever was behind her.

"Ooh, looks like Granger here finally learned how to hold her wand!"

She sighed and lowered her wand. Malfoy.

"What d'you want, ferret? I'm in no mood for your... little squabbles," She said, really annoyed with Malfoy for managing to make her evening even worse. First Ron ditches her and now this git is interfering.

"I would hate to lower myself by squabbling with a mudblood," He said the slur with a sneer.

She shrugged, " Well, you can't go much lower, can you, Malfoy?"

He snarled, " Don't provoke me, mudblood. I can hurt you in ways you can't eve-"

"OI! Keep your hands off 'er, Malfoy!"

Hermione sighed in relief. Now she wouldn't have the responsibility of hexing Malfoy into oblivion, though she doubted Ron could do it.

Malfoy snarled, " I like keeping my hands clean, Weasley, I would never touch something as filthy as her."

Ron was getting a bit red in the face, it had turned an ugly shade of crimson, and looked like he'd had a few glasses of something definitely stronger than Butterbeer. He began advancing towards Malfoy, who glared at him as if daring him to touch him.

Hermione knew well enough that Ron would probably do something stupid like attempt to hex or duel him, in which, even though she would never say it to his face, Malfoy would undoubtedly win. She also needed Ron calm to tell her why he had told her to meet him here, which, honestly, seemed unlikely judging by the growing tension between the two boys.

"Ron! Honestly, do you really want to waste your magic on this blond ass and risk getting detention? He's not worth it," She hoped the words would ease Ron's anger a little bit. His face softened slightly and he turned to her, " But, Mione, did d'you hear what h-"

"Ron," She snapped, " I said, he's not worth it, and also I do not need you fighting my battles for me!"

Malfoy snorted and I turned to face him," And you, why did you follow me here? Your gormless friends suddenly not enough for you?"

"Don't flatter yourself, Granger. You seem to have forgotten, I'm a prefect and you're out of bed after curfew, so it looks like the mudblood's going to get detent-"

It all happened so fast.

"Don't you dare call her a mudblood!"

Someone yelling. A blinding flash.

And then all she could see was black.

"D'you reckon she's dead?"

"I-i mean, she can't be dead! Right, Moony?"

"Mhm. She's alive, I can definitely feel a pulse."

"I mean, I'm not complaining but shouldn't we get her out of my lap?"

Hermione opened her eyes slightly, and immediately regretted it. The sun was shining straight in her eyes and everything seemed a little blurry. Suddenly, she noticed four pairs of eyes staring at her.

"Hey! Moony was right, she is alive!"

"When am I ever wrong, Padfoot?"

Moony? Padfoot? What was going on?

Ignoring the pounding in her head, Hermione sat up and, her eyes adjusting to the light, saw four boys huddled around her, talking amongst themselves. She vaguely registered she was still lying on the bank of the lake.

"Um... Miss? Are you alright?"

"Of course she's not alright! She literally fell out of the sky!

Hermione looked at them, a little confused, " What? Fell out of where?"

A boy who looked strangely familiar answered her, " The sky. We were talking about the fact that Moony here can't get a girlfriend and you dropped straight into Sirius's lap."

"You didn't need to tell her that, Prongs, " A boy with auburn hair grumbled.

With a start Hermione realised she was still sitting in 'Sirius's' lap, and hastily made to stand up. Who're these guys anyway? She didn't remember a Sirius at Hogwarts.

Dusting herself off, she asked the guys who were looking at her a bit worriedly, " Um, which year are you guys in? I can't seem to remember seeing you guys around here."

"Us? We're in our fifth year, and to be honest, we haven't seen you around either and we know pretty much the entire school, I mean being the marauders and all, actually I'm quite surpri-" A boy with mousy brown hair started to reply only to be cut off by the guy who, she now realized, looked almost exactly like Harry.

"Quit babbling, Wormtail. I'm sorry, " He said, now turning to her and throwing a dazzling smile her way, " We haven't had a chance to introduce ourselves, I'm James Potter and this," He said gesturing to the auburn haired boy, "is Remus, prefect and future head boy of Hogwarts, our very own Moony."

"I'm Sirius, though it's insulting I have to inform you, most girls know who I am," A raven haired boy with piercing grey eyes said, " This guy here is Peter, he doesn't like talking to girls much." He smirked while the mousy haired brunette whined, "Padfoot! Don't say that!"

Hermione was more than a little confused now. Sirius, James, Remus and Peter? We're these guys playing some kind of sick joke on her? But how would they know who the marauders were? A nauseous feeling suddenly came over her, putting a stop to her thoughts.

I'll deal with these guys later, a detention ought to put them in their place.

But for some reason, Hermione just wanted to make sure. I mean she was probably being ridiculous, but, there was a strange feeling she couldn't quite shake.

"Um, excuse me, but which year is this?"

'James' looked at her strangely and said, " The year? The year would be 1976, love."

That was all Hermione needed to hear

Thud.

Hey guys! :) this was my first ever fanfic so I'm gonna need you guys to review! I'm probably gonna be updating fast cuz I have a lot of free time

Hope you have/had a great day!

-GrindylowsInATank


	2. Pentium Tempus

Getting To Know You

-GrindylowsInATank

4th November, 1976

Hermione opened her eyes to find herself in the hospital wing. She was laid out on a bed and the curtains were drawn around her. Her head felt a little heavy, but all in all she was feeling much better than she was earlier.

Earlier.

Hermione was reminded of the strange encounter she had with four boys she had never even seen, claiming to be the infamous Marauders. She wondered whether she was hallucinating or the whole thing was a dream and she had a strange imagination.

She had put it down to hallucinating, when the curtains were opened, and a young woman dressed like a nurse, walked in.

"Ah, good, you're awake. Now, I've already mended the few scratches you had, but as you were unconscious, I couldn't do much else. Mr Potter told me you had a fall?"

Hermione shook her head, " I was out by the lake last night and Malfoy and Ron got into a fight, I think I must've gotten hit by one of the spells, I've been hallucinating. And I didn't know Madam Pomfrey had an assistant. "

The witch gave her a confused look, " Excuse me, dear? I don't have any assistants, I am Madam Pomfrey. And you'll have to tell me your name too, Professor Dumbledore's coming, he heard about your fall as well. Did you say Mr. Malfoy was with you?"

Ok, now Hermione was really puzzled," You don't remember me, Madam Pomfrey, Hermione Granger? And I didn't have a fall, Malfoy and Ron were duelling and I got hit by a spell. Did Harry say I had a fall?"

Madam Pomfrey gave her a look, " I think your thoughts are a bit muddled, dear, you shouldn't exert yourself too much. You best go back to sleep, yes?"

Hermione was getting angry now, " I'm perfectly fine! My thoughts aren't muddled! I just want to see Harry!"

She hauled herself out of bed, despite Madam Pomfrey's many protests, and ripped open the curtains.

"Awake already, are we? Did Madame Pomfrey give you something for shock? You must be a bit shaken, I would be if I fell straight out of the sky."

That was it, " I did not fall out of the sky!", she screeched, before she could realize who she was screeching at.

A twinkly-eyed Dumbledore smiled at her, "Ah, then I must have been wrongly informed.", he said, looking pointedly at-

"Harry!"

Hermione flung herself at the poor boy. Finally, she thought, someone who can tell everyone what really happened.

"Um, Harry? I'm sorry, but, I'm really not Harry."

Hermione pulled back. Looking at the now blushing boy in her arms, she saw that it actually wasn't Harry, he didn't have the scar or the bright green eyes, but he looked a lot like him

Hermione jumped back, " I'm so sorry, it's just that you look a lot like my friend, so I thought you were, you know, well... him," She finished lamely.

"Professor, " She said turning to Dumbledore, " I think we need to talk."

"So, what you're saying, is that you were out by the lake last night, where Mister Malfoy and Mister Weasley got into a fight, even though I know for a fact that Lucius had detention last night and Charlie Weasley is only a first year, and you got hit by a spell which rendered you unconscious. When you woke up you were surrounded by people claiming to be your best friend's father, godfather, professor and a man who is a death eater, all of them saying you fell out of the sky and that the year is 1976, while you know for a fact that the year is 1996. Is that right, Miss Granger?"

Hermione nodded, shifting uncomfortably on the chair Dumbledore had summoned for her in his office, " I know it doesn't seem plausible, Professor, but I swear all this is true, and then you and Madam Pomfrey are acting as though you don't know me even though I've known you both for six years!"

Dumbledore was silent for a while, examining a strange silver contraption sitting on his desk. Then he spoke, " Miss Granger, I believe I have come to a conclusion. There are several possibilities as to what could have happened to you, but the most sensible is that, you, Miss Granger, have traveled back in time."

Hermione jumped up from her seat, " Excuse me?" She couldn't have heard him right, travelled back in time? This was way out of the box, even for Dumbledore!

Dumbledore smiled, " I assure, Miss Granger, I have not gone senile, and yes, you heard me right, it does seem as though you have travelled back in time."

"That's the most sensible possibility you could think of?! And it can't be, I haven't gone near a Time Turner since my third year!"

"Ah, yes. That is the part I was most confused about, exactly how did you end up time travelling? You could've used a Time Turner, but you see, Time Turners can't go back more than 5 years at a time, and you've certainly gone much further."

"What are you saying, Professor?"

"You said you were caught between a duel? A spell hit you?"

"Yes, but, none of the people present could've performed a spell which would send one back in time!"

"Yes, yes, that is correct," He mumbled, distracted.

Dumbledore fell silent and seemed to be lost in thought, Hermione thought it was best not to disturb him. Meanwhile, she did her own thinking.

If I have travelled back in time, which still seems very far fetched, then will I be stuck here?

I have to go back, what with Voldemort coming back and Sirius dying, Harry needs me.

But... with all the things I know, couldn't I just prevent Voldemort coming back? Actually, I could prevent Harry's parents from dying too, maybe even stop Peter from becoming a Death Eater...

"Miss Granger?"

"Huh-what... yes?

Dumbledore looked at her kindly, " I said that I might have guessed how you came to be in 1976."

"You have?"

"Have you ever heard of Pentium Tempus?"

Aaah i updated so fast! It's been like 4 or 5 hours since I last updated! Also I didn't know you guys reviewed so fast! This is my fanfic so when I saw the review I freaked!

Aamarylis thank you sooo much and lmao yes I certainly would!


	3. Author's Note

**There has been a problem with the chapters. i had been writing my chapters in my notes app and then copy pasting, so, all the spaces and the italics and the bolds weren't being included. i am soo sorry for this and it won't be repeated again.****Keep reviewing!****-GrindylowsInATank**


	4. Saving The World?

**_4th November, 1976_**

"Have you ever heard of Pentium Tempus?"

Hermione thought about it. _Pentium Tempus... Pentium... Tempus. _The words were definitely Latin, but she couldn't quite remember what for. _Dual... Dual something. _Hermione was horrified, after the hundreds of books she'd spent hours pondering over, she expected herself to at least understand basic Latin!

"I'm-I'm afraid I haven't, Professor, but I'm guessing it's Latin?"

Dumbledore smiled again,"You guessed correctly, Miss Granger. It is ancient magic, not something to be tampered with. You see, the spell itself does not hold much power, it depends on the capability of the wizard- or should I say wizards- performing it."

"But, Headmaster, the wizards weren't much more than children! I doubt they could perform ancient magic!"

"The capacity of the wizard is taken into account only when he alone is performing the spell. Pentium Tempus is not only a spell, but also a side effect, a side effect of being hit by two equally powerful curses at once, a side effect which propels you back in time, a side effect which wipes any trace of you from the future."

"Are you...are you saying you i'm trapped here?"

"I'm saying I can't be sure."

Hermione let the news settle in. She felt as if she was slowly shriveling up inside, and though she should still have hope, she didn't think it very likely that she was going home any time soon. She thought about never seeing Ron and Harry again and cringed, but it wasn't just them she felt sad about leaving, it was everyone. Her parents, Ginny, Luna, Neville, the Patil twins, the Weasleys, heck, she even missed Malfoy!

She took a deep, shuddering breath and gave Dumbledore a slight smile," What do you suggest I do until you _are _sure?"

"I take it you're still at Hogwarts?" Hermione nodded," Good, then you're going to continue studying at Hogwarts until I can find a solution to your predicament. Will that be alright with you?"

Hermione thought about, she didn't think she would be able to bear being here without her best friends, but she shuddered at the thought of not completing her education, " Of course, Headmaster."

"Good, then let's sort you out, shall we? Which house were you in previously?"

"Gryffindor, sir"

"And we don't want to trouble the Sorting Hat too much, so we'll keep you in Gryffindor. Which subjects were you taking additionally?"

"Arthimancy, Ancient Runes, Muggle Studies, Care of Magical Creatures and Divination, which I dropped."

"Ah, quite the over achiever, are we? But I think we can fit it into your schedule. Now, about your situation," Dumbledore's usually shining eyes grew serious," You are to disclose it only to the people whom you trust, no one else, if the news about you got into the wrong hands, I dare say You-Know-Who himself might take interest in you. To the rest of the student body, you will say you are a muggleborn from Castelbruxo, a academy in Central Brazil, and you transferred here after your parent's death. You were born in England but shifted to Brazil to live with a sick aunt. Your name can stay the same, given that your parents don't study here."

Hermione thought it over. Dumbledore's story didn't leave any gaps, pretty foolproof.

"Yes, sir"

"Then, I think that is all. You will be staying in the girls dormitory, we can arrange for an extra bed. Your robes, parchment, quills, and your bools will be delivered to you with a little extra money for anything else you want to buy. I shall also send by your Hogsmeade form, signed by myself."

"Sir, the extra money-"

"It shall be taken out of the emergency fund. I do believe this is an emergency?"

Hermione could not help but smile,"Yes, sir."

"And yes, Hermione, I will send for you every week or so, to discuss your situation, yes?"

"Um, yes, sir...but I was thinking..."

"Yes?"

Hermione _had _been thinking. As long as she was in this time, she might as well do some good.

"Since I _am_ from the future, I know...things. Things that could help the Order-"

"You know about the Order?"

"I was _in it _in the future, sir. Anyway, I know valuable things, about the war, about saving lives, about Voldemort as well."

Dumbledore looked amused,"Brave enough to say his name?"

"I was brave enough to help my best friend kill him, sir."

His eyes did not show any emotion,"So he's gone then, in the future?"

"Well, yes, but it's really quite complicated."

Dumbledore got up from behind his desk,"As for now, I think you need some rest. We can continue this later."

Hermione didn't _want_ to rest, but she wasn't going to defy Dumbledore, not even the past one.

"Thank you, sir."

Dumbledore positively beamed,"Thank _you_, Miss Granger."

With that, Hermione left his office.

Looking around the castle, even in the dark, she could tell it hadn't changed much. There were fewer cracks in the walls, but it was still Hogwarts. Realizing how hungry she was, she took a detour to the kitchens.

_Maybe they didn't use house elves twenty years in the past._

She neared the painting, when all of a sudden,

"_PSST! MOONY!"_

_"What the hell, Padfoot?! Stop yelling!"_

_"I'm not! I'm _whispering, _we're all whispering!"_

_"The cloak can't fit us all, I'm telling you! What if McGonagall comes?!"_

_"SHUSH! Did you hear that?"_

_"Wh-what?"_

_"I don't hear anything, Prongs."_

_"And it's glorious, now come on!"_

Hermione wasn't sure what to do, was this how she was going to meet the Marauders? And what would she do _after_ meeting them? Her prefect instincts were telling her to give them a detention, but of course she wasn't a prefect in this...time, so she hid behind a suit of armor! It grumbled a little, but it was mostly asleep.

"_Are you sure the elves will let us do that?"_

_"We'll confund them!"_

_"I don't like this very much, the Slytherins'll suspect it's us, who else would do something this reckless?"_

_"Shut it, Wormtail. Did you brew the potion right, Moony?"_

_"Yep, one drop of this in their food and they'll have to sleep with live flamingos growing on their head!"_

_"Woah, you're amazing, Moony."_

_"Can we just go? Dinner's going to start at this rate!"_

The voices died down and Hermione saw the potrait swing open and them close. She got out from behind the suit of armor, careful not to wake it, and sprinted towards the common room, wistfully thinking about the food she could have eaten.

"Password, dear?"

_Shite. What's wrong with me? I should have asked Dumbledore for the password!_

"Well, you see, I'm actually a transfer so I don't really _know _the password, but-"

"Can't let you in without the password."

She growled in frustration,"Um, Devil's Snare? No? Boggart? Grindylow? Giant Squid? _Bollocks, what is it then?!"_

"The password's _crystal __ball_!"

Hermione turned around, behind her a girl that reminded her a lot of Ginny was rushing up to her. She had long ginger hair and sparkling green eyes.

She looked quite out of breath, and was panting,"Professor...Dumbledore told...me about...you!"

She was very red in the face and Hermione was a little worried,"Are you alright?" sheshe asked, leading her through the now open potrait.

"I'm fine...just a little out of breath. Oh!" She suddenly shrieked, frightening Hermione a little,"I'm being so rude, I didn't even introduce myself! I'm Lily Evans, you're going to be sharing your dormitory wi- why are you grinning?"

Hermione couldn't believe it, she was standing in front of Harry's mother! Harry _did_ have his mother's eyes!

"Oh! No, it's nothing, you just...remind me of someone...why don't we sit? You still look a bit red to me."

"Huh? Oh, yes, and I was saying that you'll be sharing a dormitory with me and three other girls, they're all very friendly, there's Dorcas Meadowes, very talented witch, very pretty too, she's really fun to talk with. Then there's Marlene McKinnon, she's not exceptionally bright in school, but she's the gossip girl of Hogwarts, great relationship advice. There's also Alice Prewett, she's a real sweetheart, great listener and a favorite among the professors. They're all waiting to meet you, Hermione!"

**Hey guys! I swear there's some Sirius/Hermione coming up! I'm going to take more time to update after the 8th of July, 2019, cuz school starts. Please keep reviewing, it makes me write better! Also how the hell do you change your username?**

**-GrindylowsInATank**


	5. Poll

**Hi guys! I had this idea of Hermione meeting Severus**

. **I mean it's still going to be Sirius/Hermione, but the idea of Severus liking her too is kinda fun. But i obviously wont do it, if you don't want to, so you can vote! Also i told someone to read my fic and now im freaking out**


	6. Dumbledore's Letter

"They're all waiting to meet you!"

Hermione was just the slightest bit terrified. She'd never found it easy talking to other girls, and the first time she'd met her roommates, she'd been really uncomfortable, it had taken years and years of living together for Hermione to at least be in her own skin around them. The idea of doing the whole thing all over again was just plain scary.

"Um, so does _everyone_ know about me? As in, is Dumbledore going to announce it at dinner or something?"

It was even more terrifying for the whole school to know who you are, but at the same time, at least she wouldn't have to introduce herself over and over again.

"Of course not! Dumbledore wouldn't embarrass you like that! But yes, most people know there's a transfer at school, rumours fly fast, I guess. But you do _not_ have to worry, you're not going to teased, everyone's great here, just watch out for the Slytherin ones _and _a group of truly _obnoxious_ boys who go around creating trouble for the professors..."

The potrait swung open and a bespectacled, grinning face emerged,"Hey! We don't'_go around creating trouble for the professors'_!"

Another flushed face popped up from behind him,"Yeah! Don't insult us, Evans!"

Lily snorted,"Really? You don't _need _insulting, Black, and also, I seem to recall _someone_ putting a Pricking Charm on all the chairs in Transfiguration, how is that _not _creating trouble for the teachers, Potter?"

James and Sirius plopped down on either side of Hermione, Sirius scoffing at Lily, "Bah! If you think _that's _trouble, wait till you see what'll happen at dinner," He said, winking at Hermione.

Hermione giggled and watched while one half of the Marauders and Lily got into a heated argument about _what's _going to happen at dinner.

_Maybe... this won't be too bad. Lily seems to like me and the rest of the dorm mates don't sound too bad, but... a part of me aches to see Harry and Ron again. It doesn't seem fair that they have to fight alone in the war. It's also not fair that I get to meet all these people that Harry never had the chance to see, especially his parents._

"Earth to Hermione!"

Hermione was jerked out of her thoughts to find Sirius staring at her, only inches from her face,"Huh? Um, yeah?"

Sirius chuckled,"James was asking you what Castelbruxo was like."

Hermione turned to James who was sitting beside her with an expectant look on his face. _Shite. I don't even know where Castelbruxo is! Okay, no, I know _that, _but nothing else!_

_"_Uh, it's pretty much the same as Hogwarts, has houses and everything."

"What has houses and everything?"

A slightly breathless Remus appeared, dragging a red faced Peter behind him.

"Hermione was just telling us about Castelbruxo." Lily explained.

Remus frowned as he sat down in a armchair in front of the fire,"Castelbruxo? Castelbruxo doesn't have houses, I've read about it."

Everyone turned to Hermione for an explanation,"Uh, they didn't used to before, but they do now, it's a long story. Let's go up to our dormitory, Lily, I want to meet the girls before dinner!" She said in a rush, before grabbing Lily's arm and rushing up the stairs leading to the girls dormitory, leaving four very bewildered boys behind.

"_Merlin's balls_, Hermione! Let me _go_!" Lily shrieked as soon as they reached the top of the stairs,"_Are you off your rocker?!"_

Hermione flopped down on the bed which had 'H.G' engraved on it, fingering the set of robes now at the bottom of her bed,"How come the other girls aren't here yet?"

Lily sighed, sitting down on the bed opposite Hermione's,"They're probably already in the Great Hall, dinner's starting in fifteen minutes," She scooted a bit closer to the end of her bed,"_But, _I asked you a question, why'd you run off like that?"

Hermione felt _guilty. _She was lying to all these people who'd been nothing but nice to her and had made her feel so...normal, as if everything was alright and that she hadn't traveled through space and time and had somehow ended up 20 years in the past. But it wasn't as if she had a choice, she didn't know whether she could truly trust them or not.

"I-i don't feel very comfortable talking about my old school, it was... hard leaving it all behind."

Lily came to sit next to Hermione and held her hand,"I can imagine, to have your whole world built carefully around you, everything in it's place, only to have it crumble down. But I can promise you, we'll all be there for you, I mean, I know I haven't known you long, but you can trust me, I promise."

Hermione was deeply moved by what Lily said, she had seen the same understanding, patient demeanour in Harry, but mixed with James's rash and impulsive behavior. She grinned.

"Thanks, Evans, I appreciate that."

Lily grinned back,"Now that that's over with, let's get to dinner!"

Hermione loitered outside the doors of the Great Hall while Lily talked to a fellow prefect, not wanting to go inside alone. Finally, after what seemed like an hour, Lily said goodbye to the Hufflepuff and linked her arm with Hermione's,"Ready?"

Hermione gulped and nodded. Lily grinned and pushed open the the Great Hall's doors. The entire school population grew quite as soon as Hermione came into view. Hermione froze as well, hoping they couldn't hear her pounding heart. A few moments later, the students looked away from Hermione and continued their conversations, the Hall buzzing once again.

"That wasn't that hard, now was it?" Lily rolled her eyes at Hermione's relieved expression, "You'll sit with us, right? I'll introduce you to everyone!"

Lily lead her to the middle of the packed Gryffindor table, making space for them both between three gossiping girls, and sitting her down across from the most gorgeous, mocha-skinned girl who surveyed her with interest.

"Who've you got here, Lils? A _new girl?"_ She giggled and waggled her eyebrows.

"Shut _up_, Dork, if she _is_ a new girl, then this isn't any way to welcome her!" A fair skinned girl with red hair much like Lily's nudged her.

"Can we all just _calm down_? Marly's right, you're not being very hospitable, Dora. I'm sorry, Hermione," Lily said now turning to her,"They're just very... well, they're a bit stupid," She giggled," Anyway, let me introduce you," She turned to the other pair,"This is Hermione Granger, she's transferred here from Castelbruxo in Brazil and will be staying here, Hermione, this," She said gesturing to the dark beauty across from her, who waved,"Is Dorcas Meadowes, Dora or Dork for short and sitting next to her is Marlene McKinnon, you can call her Marly, she _hates _being called Marlene." Marlene flashed Hermione a smile before going back to attacking her pork chops,"And last of all, this delectable young woman," Lily nodded at a pale girl with long blonde hair, who was attempting to stuff multiple pieces of parchment in her bag,"Is Alice Prewett, we call her Ally for short," Alice beamed at her before resuming her war against her bag.

"Woah, Evans, take a breath!"

Lily grimaced and Hermione turned to find that she was next to Sirius. He flashed a grin at her,"So, Hermione, wondering what it was is that we're going to do?"

Before Hermione could answer, Lily leaned forward and growled at Sirius,"I swear to Merlin, Black, if you and Potter stir up _any _more trouble, _there will be hell to pay!_"

Sirius paled a bit but spoke clearly,"Nothing to worry 'bout too much, just wait and watch!" He winked at Hermione and turned back to James and Peter. Hermione noticed Remus wasn't there, she guessed the full moon must be nearing and made a mental note to ask Dumbledore whether she could make Wolfsbane potion for him or not.

"So, it looks like _someone's _got an interest in you."

Dorcas was leaning toward Hermione and speaking in hushed tones. Hermione was confused,"What're you talking about?"

Dorcas rolled her eyes,"Well, isn't it _obvious_?"

"Who?"

"_Sirius, you silly old bint!"_

Hermione almost laughed out loud at the idea. Sirius? Like _her?_ It was an outrageous notion! I mean, she _had_ had a _tiny_ crush on him in the future, but that was when she was fourteen! And yes, he _was _just the _slightest _bit gorgeous as a fifteen year old, but that didn't mean she liked him!

...

Okay, maybe just the tiniest crush, judging by the fluttering feeling she got in her stomach whenever he looked at her and how she felt faint whenever he winked in her direction, but that did _not _mean _he _liked _her! _He did wink at her a lot, though... Bah! it's probably just a nervous tick or something!

She was about to answer Dorcas, when someone tapped on her shoulder. She turned around to see a Ravenclaw third year behind her.

"This is from Professor Dumbledore," And she handed him a scarlet letter and ran off.

**AHH I TOOK SO LONG TO UPDATE!**

**I am sooo sorry but my mom took my phone for a while and then i was just too lazy...**

**Anyway, the poll is**

**Yes: 2**

**No: 1**

**So im going to give it ONE MORE CHAPTER**

**Go vote, ya uglies!**


	7. A Bond Between Marlene and Me

Hermione opened the letter with fumbling hands_. This is it. He couldn't find a way to send me back and now i'm stuck here, twenty years before my time, with my best friend's dead parents._ Sirius looked on while Hermione struggled with the seal, "Is everything alright, 'Mione?"

Hermione's heart gave another pang at the nickname, remembering how Ron used to call her that and would never again,"Y-yeah, i'm fine... It must be something to do w-with my schedule."

Sirius stared at her and leaned in,"Are you sure? Your hands are shaking an awful lot."

Hermione blushed at the close proximity but didn't say anything, grappling with the letter. Sirius sighed, and took the letter from her, opening it with a 'pop',"You look like your dog just died, love. Something's definitely wrong."

Hermione averted her eyes, taking the letter from him,"T-thanks, and it's really nothing, I don't even what's in the letter yet, i'm just being silly."

With a throbbing heart, Hermione pulled the paper out of the envelope.

_Hogwarts School_

of _Witchcraft and Wizardry_

_Dear Ms Granger_

_I will require your presence in my study, alone, at 8 'o' clock on this upcoming Friday._

_There has been no definite news._

_PS: Pepper Imps are always nice to eat._

_Yours Sincerely_

_Albus Dumbledore_

_Headmaster_

Hermione breathed a sigh of relief and leaned back in her chair, '_There has been no definite news'_. She might still be going back, there was still a chance for her.

Sirius smiled at her relieved face,"Did everything work out?"

Hermione smiled back,"It did, I knew I was just being stupid."

He grinned at her,"You should get ready, it's gonna happen any time now..."

She gave him a confused look as dessert appeared before them,"You never said what was goi-"

Before she could finish, she was silenced by shrieks from the Slytherin table. The entire hall turned in their seats to look at them, around fifteen Slytherin students were standing up and howling, with what looked like _a small, pink bird _growing on their heads.

Everybody paused, taking in the sight, and the burst into laughter. James, Sirius and Peter laughed the loudest, with tears streaming down their beet red faces. Even Lily's mouth twitched, but for the most part, she looked _furious. _She glared at the trio, gave the now giggling Hermione an apologetic look, and strode out of the Great Hall. James saw her leaving and had the decency to look ashamed, but Sirius and Peter were rolling on the floor clutching their stomachs. Hermione didn't find the little prank amusing at first, but when Lucius Malfoy stood up on a chair, screaming about the bird having 'done it's business' in his hair, she couldn't help herself and started giggling uncontrollably.

McGonagall marched over to the perpetrators, anger clear on her face, "Potter! Black! _Pettigrew!_ _What __did you do?!_"

Sirius straightened up a bit, still wheezing,"Just a little bit of fun, Professor, i'm sure it's not too much of a _birden,"_ And started guffawing again. Hermione couldn't believe how _casually _he was talking to a _professor._

"Detention, all three of you," The professor said, in an almost bored voice,"After all, _toucan_ play at this game." She smirked, and strode off.

\--

Hermione was curled up in a loveseat, directly in front of the fireplace, _Hogwarts: A History _in hand, having escaped the howling mess of a Great Hall.

The common room was empty apart from two second-years playing Exploding Snap in a corner, Lily having gone to bed early. The potrait swung open and James stepped in, an eager grin on his face, along with Peter and Sirius.

"_Woah!_" Peter exclaimed,"That was _so cool!_"

"Totally," Sirius agreed, his eyes shining with mirth,"Worth the detentions, if you ask me!"

James ignored them and sat down near Hermione,"Er-Hermione? Did Lily go to bed already?"

Hermione gave him a sympathetic look,"She was probably just tired, James," She patted him on the arm,"I'm sure she'll come around."

James sighed and threw his head back,"It's-it's just that, no matter what I do, no matter how I act, she's always so..._irritated_ with me," He turned to Hermione, with a pleading look in his eyes,"I've been asking her out since _third year_, Mione. Why can't she understand? I'm in _love_ with her. How do I tell her that?"

Hermione felt sorry for him, especially because he would spend all this time pining after her, and when he would finally get her, she would be snatched away from him, _but she was here to make sure that didn't happen!_

"You can try being a little more mature first, I think Lily would like that side of you. And if _you _behave like a gentleman, I _might_ just give Lily a push in the right direction."

James grinned like a little boy, and then his face grew sincere,"Thank you, Hermione, I really appreciate it."

Hermione smiled and shoved him away from her. _Ah, young love!_

Sirius strolled over to her, sitting on the arm of her chair,"Playing matchmaker, are you?" He chuckled.

Hermione stuck her chin out defiantly,"I just feel they deserve to be together, is that wrong?"

He grinned,"No! Merlin knows he's wanted her long enough. I just want him to be happy."

"Hmm. Where's Remus?" She fought hard to keep a straight face, she wanted to see what he would say.

Sirius faltered for a split second, but kept an even face,"He's in the hospital wing, probably got the flu or something. He's been pretty stressed too, what with his furry little problem and all..." He smirked at the last part.

She struggled with the urge to smirk too,"Furry little problem?"

"Nevermind that, how're you feeling 'bout your first day of classes? Bet you're a right swot, eh?"

"I'm not a _swot_... I prefer 'over achiever'! And i'm just a tad bit nervous, mostly excited though."

He smirked,"Excited for classes? Knew you were a swot..."

Hermione elbowed him right onto the floor for that one.

"Sheesh, Hermione! That _hurt!" _But he was grinning.

"I meant it to, Black. Anyway, i'm going up to bed, it's pretty late, goodnight, everyone.

Still smiling, she crept up the stairs to her dormitory. She saw Lily, Dorcas and Alice were already asleep, but Marlene was nowhere to be seen.

Laying in her bed at night, Hermione thought about everything that'd happened. She'd travelled back in time, she'd met and made friends with her best friend's dead parents, her former professor and a traitor, she also possibly had a crush on her best friend's dead godfather, and she was now preparing to save the wizarding world. How _bizarre_ it all was.

A sob broke the silence in the dormitory. Hermione shot upright, and scrambled out of bed, ready to fight, but it didn't seem as if anyone was awake, Lily and the other two were definitely still asleep. She was about to go back to bed, when she noticed something shaking on the floor in the corner, next to Marlene's bed.

She tip-toed over to whatever it was, wand in hand. From a distance it looked like a vibrating red mop covered with a blanket, but when she got closer, she saw it was Marlene, bundled up in a blanket, her body racked with sobs.

"Marlene?"

She looked up, her eyes wide and frightened, rimmed with red and all puffy, and when she saw who it was, she let out a choked "_Oh!", _and started crying even harder.

Hermione lowered herself slowly onto the floor, crawling next to Marlene,"What's-"

"_Don't... _Just don't, Hermione, _please..." _Her voice was raw, as if she had been screaming.

Hermione sat with her in silence for a while, Marlene not paying her any attention, then she said quitely,"I think you should tell me, I might help."

Marlene whimpered,"You don't want to know, Hermione, don't burden yourself," She said in a whisper.

"I _do _want to know, I don't think I would be burdening myself by knowing."

"I-it was...it was... _oh, it was terrible, Hermione!" _She flung herself into Hermione's lap, bawling like a child. She stroked her hair, hushing her.

"Do you think you can tell me?"

She didn't say anything for the longest time and Hermione thought she'd fell asleep, but then she gave the barest of nods, and started to speak.

"There was this guy, I can't tell you his name, in Ravenclaw. He was m-my partner in potions and he was always _so nice to me_! We became friends and th-then, he asked me to Hogsmeade on a date. Well, I said yes, and he was just so _charming_ and _so smart_, so we went on more dates, and we grew close, and then he asked me to be his g-girlfriend."

"I agreed, obviously. But we didn't get enough time together, he was always taking all these extra classes and I had Quidditch practice all the time. So he suggested that we sneak out of the castle at night, to just take a walk or something and, well, I said no. But he kept insisting, so I said, fine, but we have to stay inside the grounds. So, well, we went and it was so _romantic_, walking together under the moonlight, just the two of us. Then it got late and we came back to the castle."

"And then I was just kissing him goodnight, but-_oh- _he wouldn't let go! I tried to free myself but he was so much more stronger and he shoved me into this tiny classroom, and when he started putting locking and silencing charms on the door I g-got scared, but he said it was all going to be _all right._ But he was so rough, Hermione, he touched me places, even though I was _begging _him to stop. He even took my wand. I yelled and yelled but no one could hear me."

"I thought he was going t-to _do it,_ I was so scared. And then when hewas so close to doing it, I went completely _crazy_, I kicked and scratched and bit, I head butted him and he just crumpled to the floor, s-so I grabbed my clothes and wand, opened the door, and I _ran._ I just th-thought he was the greatest guy ever, but turns out I have just _great taste, _don't I?"

She laughed bitterly and sat up, still snivelling,"But thanks for listening, Hermione, i'm not going to say _it lifted a great burden off my chest_, but I feel better now, at least a little bit."

Hermione smiled softly,"I just think what you did, was extremely brave, most girls would've given up by then, and _it is not_ your fault, none of it is your fault, _he _was the one who assaulted you, you didn't choose for any of it to happen. But you have to tell a teacher, whenever you're ready of course, but you have to, okay?"

"Alright, Hermione, now _please _go back to sleep."

She rolled her eyes,"Alright, fine, I'm going. Goodnight!"

"Goodnight, Mione."

**A/N**

**Yo**

**Okay, so the poll is**

**Yes:2**

**No:4**

**so we're NOT doing the love triangle thingy, sorry to the ones who voted yes, but majority wins!**

**And I AM FREAKING OUT**

**I GOT SOO MANY REVIEWS!!!**

**I love you guys, a _lot, _and thank you to each and every person who reviewed!**


	8. Chapter 8

Hermione's eyes opened earlier than usual, according to the muggle clock hanging over Lily's bed, it was only six in the morning. She wasn't used to waking up so early, but she didn't feel she could go back to sleep. She got up from the snug comfort of her bed, and pulled a jumper over her tank top and shorts.

She quickly brushed her teeth and attempted to tame her curls with a few glamour charms she had learnt. She grabbed Advanced Potion Making by Libatius Borage from her bedside and made her way down to the common room. She planned to read for an hour or two until her roommates came down for breakfast.

The first thing that she noticed when she reached the bottom of the stairs, was that the common room was not empty, Sirius could be seen in the far corner, sitting on a chair, wrapped in a cloak. The second was that he was not awake, his snores reverberating around the room.

She tip toed over to him, planning to wake him up and drive him out of the room so she could get some quiet. But a look at his sleeping face, and she forgot everything else. His expression was so...pure, he looked so at peace, that Hermione sat down next to him, not having the heart to wake him up. His hair was all mussed up, his eyebrows furrowed as if in thought. Hermione suddenly felt a little uncomfortable, there was something so intimate about seeing him when so ungaurded and innocent. But she didn't look away, she liked this. Not in a creepy way, but she liked to be the one who saw him like this.

It felt so special. You're being stupid, this isn't that important, I bet loads of people have watched him sleep. But she liked to think that it was, even though she barely knew him, even though he probably didn't care, even though she knew having these feelings wouldn't pay because he was dead in the future, even though he might be a dickhead, she liked feeling special.

Sirius suddenly started to squirm in his sleep, and the moment was broken. Hermione sighed and turned away, reprimanding herself for being so foolish, and picked up her book.

"Don't do...it."

Hermione looked back at Sirius, He talks in his sleep? But no, Sirius seemed to be in great pain, he was trembling and whimpering, his face troubled. He appeared to be having a nightmare.

"Please...don't hurt him."

Hermione shot to her feet and kneeled down in front of him.

"Sirius? Wake up."

She was scared. She'd never seen him like this, and the sight of him so... vulnerable, made her frightened. He groaned loudly and turned on his side, still shaking.

"He's just a... kid, it isn't... his fault, mother."

"Sirius, get up. Come on, it's just a dream. Sirius. Sirius, wake up!"

She was desperate now, tears falling from her face. Looking at him like this-no- looking at anyone like this was truly a terrible sight, and she didn't really want to know what had him so disturbed. She shook him hard, but he was deep in sleep, showing no signs of getting up.

"Mother... please. What? No, please, it was a mistake-" He'd suddenly started screaming, his face contorted in pain. Hermione started sobbing, begging him to please wake up. He yelled louder and louder, drowning out her pleading. In the back of her mind, she wondered how nobody was listening to him. He shouted for what seemed like an eternity, but was probably only a few minutes, and then abruptly stopped. He took a deep, shuddering breath and his eyes shot open.

By now, Hermione was sitting on the floor in front of him, sobbing with her head in her hands, still repeating herself over and over again. She hadn't noticed that Sirius had gotten up now, when she felt warm, strong hands around her.

He had his arms around her waist, and was sitting her down on his lap. She vaguely noticed all this happening, but didn't stop wailing.

"Shh, Calm down, Hermione, calm down. Everything's going to be alright, shh."

He murmured into her hair, stroking it, his voice hoarse from all the screaming. Hermione felt safe, and warm with his arms wrapped around her and stopped crying. She sniffled and pulled back to look at him. He looked terrible, his face looked all... wrong. His usually twinkling eyes were red and puffy from crying, his lips, normally stretched into a wide smile, now only allowed her a small smile which looked more like a grimace. His expression was dismal and broken and a little scared, though she probably looked pretty much the same.

She brought up a trembling hand to cup his cheek and sighed. She had been so frightened and was so glad he had woken up. His eyes widened just a fraction, surprise clear on his face, and he arched a perfectly manicured eyebrow. Hermione rolled her eyes.

"Oh, shut up. Can't I even touch your face? Afraid i'm going to ruin your skin, Princess?" She teased.

He let out a small laugh, though it was more like a wheeze,"No, I was just worried about your snotty hands," But then his eyes softened, and he put his hand on hers,"Why did I wake up to you crying yourself raw over my trousers?"

She winced,"Was it really that bad? Me crying?"

He nodded,"You sounded like a dying goat, but I want to know why, Hermione."

She looked down, pretending to be interested in her cuticles,"It was really nothing, I mean-"

"Hermione."

She looked up and sighed, his face was stern even with the puffy eyes and runny nose.

"You-well, no- I came down here to read and then I saw you asleep here, and-and..." She broke off, not wanting to tell him that she had seen him in the middle of a breakdown.

He rubbed her arm,"You can tell me, I swear I won't get angry, I never get angry."

She exhaled noisily and looked away,"You started shaking and crying, it was terrible," Her voice wavered a bit,"And I tried to wake you up, but you were saying something about-about your mother and you weren't waking up and then...you started screaming and I didn't know what to do, and you were trembling and crying and-" She took a deep breath to compose herself,"I'm sorry," she said in a small voice.

She looked up, and looking at his expression, she immediately regretted it. He had a look of great pain and fury on his face. He looked as if he might hit her any second but also seemed to be very disconsolate. And even though it wasn't as if nobody hadn't ever looked at her like that, she didn't expect him to.

She started to get up, a little scared of him,"I-I knew you wouldn't like-no-this is m-my fault, I'm so sorry, Sirius. I s-swear I won't tell anyone. I'm sorry, I didn't-"

"Hermione."

"-mean t-to see you like that. I-I probably should just go. Y-yeah, I'm going to go back to be-"

"_Hermione._"

She stopped trying to disentangle herself from his body and looked at him. He didn't look angry anymore, just despairing and tired and a little _broken_. He sighed.

"I'm not angry, Hermione, and neither is this your fault. Just... sit down for now."

She was still scared and didn't really believe he wasn't angry, but she sat back down on his lap without a word.

He nodded,"Thank you. And I assume you want me to explain?"

Hermione wanted to say yes, but she wasn't sure whether she _should _know what he dreamed about. It just seemed a little too personal, and him _asking_ her whether she wanted to know was already very...strange. She didn't want everything to get too personal because of a _lot_ of reasons. She wasn't sure she wanted to get into something too intimate which could _possibly _lead to a relationship, because she would feel guilty over Ron, she'd liked him for two years now. She also didn't want to get attached to him because of the reason that she could still potentially go back to her time and he and she both would be heartbroken.

And the most obvious one, _he was Harry's godfather, who was currently (at least in her time) dead and had been at least twenty years older than her when he had been killed!_ But, for reasons unknown to the universe she said,

"Yes. If you want to, of course."

He gave her a small smile,"Yes, yes, I suppose I do."

He took a deep breath and leaned back in the chair, not meeting her eyes.

"I was a disappointment to my family. A big one. I didn't believe in the whole Pureblood thing, which was something the Black's were famous for, being one of the oldest Pureblood families in the history of Wizarding England. I didn't _get_ why everyone in my familywas so against Muggleborns and Half-bloods, but I went along with it for a while, not wanting to dissapoint my... mother."

"Walburga Black, you might've heard of her. Beast of a woman, she treated me like dirt only because _I _wasn't a Pureblood fanatic like her and didn't even take the slightest interest in 'purifying the world' by killing, excuse the slur, _Mudbloods._ Not like my brother did."

"Brother?" Hermione interrupted softly.

He smiled ruefully,"Ah, yes. _Regulus Black. _My little brother. _He's _the one who made my family proud. Took in every idiotic thing my parents said to him."

He paused.

"He's planning to get the Mark."

"Oh?"

"Yeah. My parents are _delighted_. They think Voldemort's got the right idea wuth all those Muggleborn killings. They would love for their little Reggie to be on his side. Turned out a right git, he did."

"Were you._.. close_ with him?"

"When we were smaller, I was. It all got ruined when I got my letter, though."

"Your Hogwarts letter? What happened?"

He didn't answer her question, in fact, he didn't speak at all for a while. Hermione didn't say anything either waiting for him to be ready.

Finally, he spoke.

"My mother wasn't a happy person. She didn't have anything to be happy _about_. She didn't have actual _friends_, she just kept up appearances, I guess. She didn't love her family, not really, not even her wealthy, Pureblood husband or her obedient, _Death Eater _son. Least of all me, of course."

"She liked to take out her frustration out on me and Reg. She _enjoyed _it. And she had... _ways _to do it. Sometimes, it was fine and she would just beat us, though I would have to sleep to sleep with Reg for days after in case he had nightmares, but it didn't really _affect _us, you know? And then sometimes..."

He had fell silent again.

"Sirius? Did she... starve you?"

He snorted,"_I wish._ My father would've seen, and he was still halfway decent, wouldn't have allowed it. No, my mother liked us to experience a little Crucio now and then."

Hermione looked up, startled,"Did you mean...?"

"Yes, I did mean the Cruciatus curse, Hermione and _yes_, I know it was illegal but, well, my dear mother had her ways."

Hermione didn't know how to respond to that. 'I'm sorry' wouldn't convey what she felt at the moment. No words could describe what she felt when she thought of Sirius and her brother, both of them less than ten, having to endure an Unforgivable cast on them. How could a person, let alone a mother, cast such a... _traumatising _spell on _children?_ Mere _children?_ She felt _sick_. _Sick_. Sirius didn't say anything, he just looked at Hermione while she decided what to say. Finally, when she couldn't think of anything, she leaned forward and hugged him. _Hard. _Trying to tell him everything going on in her mind by hugging him.

Sirius stiffened when she wrapped her arms around his neck but then relaxed and chuckled, hugging her back. They stayed like that for a while, arms around each other and then Sirius pulled back. Hermione instantly felt the loss of warmth and almost groaned, but stopped short when she saw the look in Sirius's eyes. It was very..._ intense_, but she didn't have time to see what it was, because at that moment, Sirius leaned forward and kissed her on her cheek. Well, it wasn't really a _kiss_, he had just brushed his lips lightly against her cheek, just enough for them to be _there_, and she melted. She felt a strange swooping sensation in her stomach, and she felt heat rush to her face. She was pretty sure she was as red as a tomato, and Sirius pretty much confirmed it when he pulled back and actually laughed out loud.

Wait.

Sirius still had her mouth on her cheek, and he certainly didn't laugh, did he?

"Am I _interrupting _something?"

James.

**Writer's block tends to make me run away from my responsibilities like making sure my readers are satisfied. IM SORRY, I HATE ME TOO. Love the reviews, thank you so much!**

**Padfoot'smyMan-** **I'm not sure what to do with the Marlene thing, but i swear that jackass is gonna get punished. And I knew charlie wasn't supposed to be at Hogwarts then, but he actually has a role later on, so I needed charlie Weasley's personality for the role. And don't worry, snape is out. I ABSO-FUCKING-LUTELY LOVE YOUR REVIEWS THANK YOU SO MUCH.**

**And obviously thank you to everyone elsewho's bookmarked or liked or reviewed on my story, I LOVE YOU.**


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